I guess this one was long overdue!
An explanation on why I am not a big fan of Manchester United fans and why I can say without a doubt that even if Arsenal never happened to me, I could never have ended up as a Manchester United supporter.
Here's why...
Instance 1
So a friend talks to me on Facebook after almost a year of not being in touch. He needs a survey to be filled, which I duly do. And this is a friend from my non-football craze phase; when football for me began and ended with Christiano Ronaldo (because he was really hot). This friend was a Manchester United fan and had very not-so-discreetly shared pictures of an almost clothes-less Christiano Ronaldo with me! So I happened to mention to him that while Ronaldo was probably still hot, I was now a Goonerette and had surrendered to the hotness of Olivier Giroud and cuteness of Aaron Ramsey!
His responses, "The process or an instance of supporting arsenal is called brainwashing ...priyankaaaaaa noooooo"
"since u already a goon i'll just say ek do match jeetne se koi dabang nahi ban jata hai ...still 35 matches to go..farcenal wont keep up with the big boys..take me home united."
"i am not sure if u'll be able to see..u'll be traumatized by the end of this month ..haha totally always been fun chatting with you"
Instance 2
I put up a picture in my new Arsenal jersey on Whatsapp...and some bits of the attention it garnered went thus:
Friend who hadn't spoken to me in a year. Didn't ask me what was up, how I was, or what I was doing...but had this to say:
"Priyankaaaaaa...what is wrong with you...since when did you become a gooner? What have you done to yourself?"
Instance 3
This was a childhood friend who is in London now and was going to watch a Chelsea home game, live.
And since I realized what a great moment it was for him, our conversation went like this:
Me: Hey! While we are rivals when it comes to football clubs we support, I am still you friend. So I hope you have a really really good time watching today's game.
(And I swear to God, I really, genuinely meant it)
Friend: Hey! Hi! Thanks! And btw...Gooners are playing really well too. Cheers!
I was so happy, I really wished that Chelsea won the game, just because he was so nice about me supporting Arsenal! Didn't happen though! Chelsea lost at home :(
See the difference?
Supporters from other clubs will just accept it with a yeah whatever, or ok then, peace, or too bad then, when they find out you support a club other than their own. But they will leave you and your decision alone.
Tell a Manchester United fan you support any other club, and they will most certainly start talking like jilted lovers! They'll do whatever it takes to make you feel like you are making the biggest mistake of your life by not supporting Manchester United. And I am not kidding when I say they take it very very personally if you don't support their club!
You lose an important game, they'll have a field day making fun of you. You make fun of them when they lose a game, and they'll come back with a video/picture of an older game that they have won against you. Because, well, f**k logic!
If they win the game, it's a really important game they won; but when they lose the game, then what really matters is a game they won last week, or the week before, or the week before!
If they are on top of the table, like they were, when the Premier League began, "On the top baby, right how it's meant to be"; and now when they are not, "We'll talk in May. That is when we judge."
Ok then! :D
Your club has a bad day. You comment on how terribly they played. And that's the only time Manchester United fans will acknowledge your thoughts and opinions on the game, and agree with you. I have my doubts if the same kind of agreement will be forthcoming when you talk about a terrible performance by them or mock one of their players. Because Hello! They can do no wrong, OK! :D
And to be very honest, inspite of the irritation, I don't hate Manchester United. It's not like I am against the club or anything. I know they're one of the biggies, I know they've probably won more games and titles than Arsenal, but I cannot tolerate that the fans can't be mature or respectful about someone's choice of supporting another football club!
That, and I hate the general attitude of, "Not arrogant, just better." Seriously? As current standings go, they are clearly not better (in playing fair and playing classy, we win hands down; and as of today, we are better even in terms of being ahead in the League!) but they are very very arrogant!
Obviously, not all of them are like that. I'm not saying there are no Manchester United fans who are respectful of other clubs and their fans without being patronizing or sly or condemning. I'm just saying I haven't met any. :)
As far as me and my football craze go, Manchester United fan friends are more than happy to ignore it (not without making their displeasure felt), or ridicule and mock me for supporting a supposedly 'loser' club, or make me feel like a fool for not understanding the game (and this is the only criticism I don't hold against them because they're right).
The Arsenal fans I know may not be thrilled about fans and supporters of other clubs, but don't make a big deal of it. I have never heard an Arsenal fan giving someone grief for not being an Arsenal supporter. Not to say that we won't mock other clubs, or won't have a field day celebrating our wins; we just won't be sore losers or jilted lovers when we don't!
* hopes to share some laughs but also silently prepares for hate comments, popcorn-worthy arguments, and scoreboards/videos/images of every match Arsenal has ever lost to Manchester United *
P.S. - No posts on fans of other clubs because none have annoyed me as much!
An explanation on why I am not a big fan of Manchester United fans and why I can say without a doubt that even if Arsenal never happened to me, I could never have ended up as a Manchester United supporter.
Here's why...
Instance 1
So a friend talks to me on Facebook after almost a year of not being in touch. He needs a survey to be filled, which I duly do. And this is a friend from my non-football craze phase; when football for me began and ended with Christiano Ronaldo (because he was really hot). This friend was a Manchester United fan and had very not-so-discreetly shared pictures of an almost clothes-less Christiano Ronaldo with me! So I happened to mention to him that while Ronaldo was probably still hot, I was now a Goonerette and had surrendered to the hotness of Olivier Giroud and cuteness of Aaron Ramsey!
His responses, "The process or an instance of supporting arsenal is called brainwashing ...priyankaaaaaa noooooo"
"since u already a goon i'll just say ek do match jeetne se koi dabang nahi ban jata hai ...still 35 matches to go..farcenal wont keep up with the big boys..take me home united."
"i am not sure if u'll be able to see..u'll be traumatized by the end of this month ..haha totally always been fun chatting with you"
Instance 2
I put up a picture in my new Arsenal jersey on Whatsapp...and some bits of the attention it garnered went thus:
Friend who hadn't spoken to me in a year. Didn't ask me what was up, how I was, or what I was doing...but had this to say:
"Priyankaaaaaa...what is wrong with you...since when did you become a gooner? What have you done to yourself?"
Instance 3
This was a childhood friend who is in London now and was going to watch a Chelsea home game, live.
And since I realized what a great moment it was for him, our conversation went like this:
Me: Hey! While we are rivals when it comes to football clubs we support, I am still you friend. So I hope you have a really really good time watching today's game.
(And I swear to God, I really, genuinely meant it)
Friend: Hey! Hi! Thanks! And btw...Gooners are playing really well too. Cheers!
I was so happy, I really wished that Chelsea won the game, just because he was so nice about me supporting Arsenal! Didn't happen though! Chelsea lost at home :(
See the difference?
Supporters from other clubs will just accept it with a yeah whatever, or ok then, peace, or too bad then, when they find out you support a club other than their own. But they will leave you and your decision alone.
Tell a Manchester United fan you support any other club, and they will most certainly start talking like jilted lovers! They'll do whatever it takes to make you feel like you are making the biggest mistake of your life by not supporting Manchester United. And I am not kidding when I say they take it very very personally if you don't support their club!
You lose an important game, they'll have a field day making fun of you. You make fun of them when they lose a game, and they'll come back with a video/picture of an older game that they have won against you. Because, well, f**k logic!
If they win the game, it's a really important game they won; but when they lose the game, then what really matters is a game they won last week, or the week before, or the week before!
If they are on top of the table, like they were, when the Premier League began, "On the top baby, right how it's meant to be"; and now when they are not, "We'll talk in May. That is when we judge."
Ok then! :D
Your club has a bad day. You comment on how terribly they played. And that's the only time Manchester United fans will acknowledge your thoughts and opinions on the game, and agree with you. I have my doubts if the same kind of agreement will be forthcoming when you talk about a terrible performance by them or mock one of their players. Because Hello! They can do no wrong, OK! :D
And to be very honest, inspite of the irritation, I don't hate Manchester United. It's not like I am against the club or anything. I know they're one of the biggies, I know they've probably won more games and titles than Arsenal, but I cannot tolerate that the fans can't be mature or respectful about someone's choice of supporting another football club!
That, and I hate the general attitude of, "Not arrogant, just better." Seriously? As current standings go, they are clearly not better (in playing fair and playing classy, we win hands down; and as of today, we are better even in terms of being ahead in the League!) but they are very very arrogant!
Obviously, not all of them are like that. I'm not saying there are no Manchester United fans who are respectful of other clubs and their fans without being patronizing or sly or condemning. I'm just saying I haven't met any. :)
As far as me and my football craze go, Manchester United fan friends are more than happy to ignore it (not without making their displeasure felt), or ridicule and mock me for supporting a supposedly 'loser' club, or make me feel like a fool for not understanding the game (and this is the only criticism I don't hold against them because they're right).
The Arsenal fans I know may not be thrilled about fans and supporters of other clubs, but don't make a big deal of it. I have never heard an Arsenal fan giving someone grief for not being an Arsenal supporter. Not to say that we won't mock other clubs, or won't have a field day celebrating our wins; we just won't be sore losers or jilted lovers when we don't!
* hopes to share some laughs but also silently prepares for hate comments, popcorn-worthy arguments, and scoreboards/videos/images of every match Arsenal has ever lost to Manchester United *
P.S. - No posts on fans of other clubs because none have annoyed me as much!
Ok, couldn't avoid replying to this one before tomorrow. Interesting how people's experiences influence their thoughts. I actually have met many sane fans from both sides, and many idiots from both sides. Either way, I do believe you've finally met a sane United fan :)
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons to support Arsenal, and just as many to support United, but I think it is fact that number of idiot supporters a club gains is proportional to success. I agree United's are probably more in number now, but if and when Arsenal go on a winning run of 4-5 years, it's probable the balance shifts. Just remember that either shouldn't affect why you or I support/hate clubs. United isn't endorsing the fools after all (neither is Arsenal endorsing the foolish fans I've met ;) )